This is the first half of a documentary on the Winnemem Wintu 2006 Coming of Age Ceremony.

This portion of the documentary shows the difficulties and the level of harassment that we face when the Forest Service refuses our request to close the river for our ceremony, a right provided for in the Farm Bill and in the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples, which was signed by the United States in 2011.

The Winnemem people lived on the Winnemem (McCloud) River for millenia, yet our land was taken -- without compensation -- and flooded to create Shasta Lake. Now the U.S. government says we don't exist, and various agencies refuse to recognize our right to carry out our traditional ceremonies without interference.